Andante
by Lord of Judgement
Summary: In brief respites from politics, intrigues and duties, Jade learns the benefits and difficulties of loving an Emperor. Sequel to "The Many Masks…". Pre-game. Jade x Peony.
1. Andante

******Summary:** Between politics, intrigues and duties, Jade learns the benefits and difficulties of loving an Emperor. Sequel to "_The Many Masks…_". Pre-game. Jade x Peony.

**Rating: **still T; nothing explicit.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own _Tales of the Abyss_.

**Author's Note**: A short 4-parts story, conceived and written (at least this part) in a matter of hours as a cure to my writer's block. My muse had long ago stopped making any sense so have patience for me. ^^

The title chosen because the game has a distinct music theme.

* * *

_andante (mus., Ital.)_ – at a moderately slow tempo.

* * *

**~ ANDANTE ~**

**Part I. Andante. **

Peony reclined in his favorite armchair with a book in one hand and official letters in the other, having outstretched his legs onto the velvet cushion near which the rappigs were playing, nuzzling at his toes. Then he couldn't maintain a serious expression, wiggled and spoke to them in soft murmur. He also ordered the menials to leave a bowl of cherries on the table and everyone in the Palace, young and old alike, knew how much he adored cherries.

In other words, in Jade's eyes the Emperor was a picture of glaring _unproductiveness_.

"Oh, man," as if he wanted to create for himself as many distractions as humanly possible, Peony addressed his friend. "Why do people have to argue for petty reasons? Listen to this, Jade… One impoverished landlord rivals with the other for a small piece of land near Akzeriuth which is as barren as sands around Sheridan, yet neither is willing to yield. So they request my assistance in the matter."

Jade didn't show a flicker of interest in what the Emperor was saying. He was engrossed in thought, considering which new ideas to include in the book he was writing about learning and perfecting fonic artes. But it was one of those evenings when Peony invited him to his chambers for a casual conversation by a habit which he acquired after Jade abandoned fomicry research and joined Malkuth Army, which he didn't break when their relationship changed and which – although now concluded with a kiss instead of a few farewell words – became to both of them an important ritual.

"I am surprised you understood anything written in that letter, being distracted as you are, Your Majesty," Jade mockingly remarked, taking off his glasses and twirling them around his finger. Convenient rumors were afloat that he needed them to correct his eyesight and even control his ability to cast fonic artes.

"And I never understood how you worked on a tedious task for hours and managed to stay awake." Peony put the papers aside and stretched. "They want me to resolve their argument and I, having no desire to involve the Order of Lorelei, agreed. What would you do in my place? The documents have been lost, I checked the archives."

"Doesn't the Score tell who inherits the land?"

"Yes, but trouble is that the rival disagrees with the Score and I do not want to send a division to that godforsaken hole if violence ensues after I support the supposedly rightful heir. One of the landlords says that the Score is fake and I want to avoid a scandal – you know what I mean? – which will inevitably draw attention of the Oracle Knights."

"What do you intend to do?"

"My solution is simple but elegant."

"Who else will praise you if you don't praise yourself?" Mumbled Jade.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing, Your Majesty, I said nothing. Do continue, please."

"I will hold a tournament similar to the one in Baticul and let them resolve their argument in battle."

"A clever idea, indeed," admitted Jade. "It seems they want to fight each other. Let them fight, let them satisfy their craving for justice and… it should be a simple case, really. What bothers me is the report of the fake Score…"

"Do you know something?"

"What makes you think I do, Your Majesty?"

"You always look like you know everything," the Emperor fixed his eyes upon him and spit the cherry pit into his fist.

After Peony returned to Grand Chokmah, he led a rather frivolous life, from time to time indulging in casual affairs of which certain rumors reached Jade's ears, yet until recently the Emperor's amorous adventures did not concern him. Therefore he was genuinely astonished when Peony on the night they kissed said that they shouldn't hasten. Since neither his experience in a research lab, nor the many years he spent in the army could help him court an Emperor, Jade complied with the request. He was a man easy to please. If Peony wants to wait, he will learn to be thankful for small mercies. To feel affection, let alone express it was a trial for him still and the Emperor seemed to understand his inner struggle.

Jade sustained a long pause before changing the subject. "What book were you reading?"

"It is a comedy with a little bit of drama which emphasizes the grave shortcomings of monarchy, describing how farmers of Engeve and St. Binah suffer under my tyrannical rule. A jester he must be, the author of this pamphlet." The Emperor leaned forward, his bottomless eyes sparkling with mirth. Blue, unfeigned mirth. "Do I look like a tyrant to you?"

"On the contrary, Your Majesty, I must say you are too lenient to certain subjects."

"The other day a delegation from Engeve arrived and they brought me special gifts – fresh vegetables, fruit and fish – as a token of their gratitude for the reduced taxation. If you recall, it was a new policy I discussed with the Council and I'd be damned if those old geezers were happy. Confound it!"

"It seems you have doubts," astutely remarked Jade.

"Of course, I have doubts! Every ruler has 'em. How else can you satisfy the people, the Councilors and even that boring old man, Sesemann?" The Emperor absent-mindedly scratched his head; then, as if having remembered about proper manners, he set his tunic straight and drew himself up to his full height. "They give me a lot of trouble."

"It happens if you are too benevolent, Your Majesty. People become ungrateful."

"I wonder… Should I consider you one of them? I pardoned many of your blunders – and I admit they were not grave – but my patience seems infinite."

"Well, Your Majesty, then I count myself among the most privileged," a faint smile touched Jade's lips. "But I am a very grateful subject."

A rappig gripped the Emperor's attention and he fondly stroked its fur, perplexing Jade once more by forgetting about their conversation in a heartbeat. Jade, however, enjoyed silence, when time dragged on to the ticking of the large clock on the wall, when he without hindrance gazed at Peony – a delightful picture of indolence and gaiety – asking himself why it was that, owing to him and Gelda Nebilim, he finally understood death and the significance of preserving a life. What was it that Peony possessed and neither his sister, nor Saphir did? A peculiar strength of character which challenged his blind desire to research fomicry… It could not be the gentle cast of his features, lacking even a wrinkle – and many members of royal families he met had a wrinkle on their foreheads and kept their lips compressed in a thin line which imparted to their faces a cruel streak. Or, perhaps, his conjectures had been wrong altogether…

"Jade?"

"What?" He asked with reluctance. He wanted silence to last, but the Emperor had noticed his far from cheerful expression. Having perched on the arm of the couch, he leaned over to him.

"What did you do with the letters I sent you from Keterburg?"

Peony did send him letters after his talents were recognized and he was adopted into the Curtiss family. Jade remembered sheets of paper, covered with small, neat handwriting, and at the end of each line letters bunched up as if the prince wanted to tell him as much as possible in every message.

"Oh, dear… If you want an honest answer, I burnt them without reading."

"I thought so. Imagine my surprise when I finally received a reply… I wanted to ask why you changed your mind."

Jade ran his fingers through the threads of sand-colored hair, inhaling its tantalizing smell – a blend of unfamiliar fragrances and myrrh.

"Imagine my surprise when I kept receiving those every month on the same day."

"I never gave up on our friendship, despite your aloofness and coldness." Peony put a hand on his shoulder. "You still owe me an answer."

"It's quite difficult to explain… We were researching fomicry, Saphir and I, when the Hod War began. Before they shut down the labs, I was beginning to realize something neither of us suspected before. Something was amiss… A replica isn't an exact copy, but a mere imitation of the original, like a placebo for a deathly sick patient. Later, I learned the replicas didn't retain the original's memories, but then, after I discovered that a replica isn't an isofon, it was merely a suspicion which I couldn't dismiss easily from my mind…"

"Did you understand you missed me?"

"No, Your Majesty, writing you letters distracted me from a necessary obligation to doubt my decision."

The Emperor sighed and swallowed another cherry. Perhaps, the answer Jade was looking for was much simpler indeed. Unlike Saphir or Nephry, regardless of what he had done or said, Peony never gave up trying.

***o***

Jade never realized that peonies were different – white as snow, yellow, pink and even pale-blue although he was certain those were artificially colored. He passed by the small flower shop every day on his way to work, but never slowed down to scrutinize the details. He knew the store was there – he wouldn't be Jade Curtiss otherwise – but the lack of time and interest prevented him from noticing the flowers.

But that day he halted in front of the glass and remembered his Emperor. It wasn't a chance concurrence that he had those thoughts. The day before he asked Sesemann quite unexpectedly about what he should do if he wanted to surprise a lady, describing a purely imaginary situation, but his mentor darted an understanding look at him and suggested he bought that girl flowers. Thus he found himself in front of a shop window, gazing at peonies and people passed him, paying him no heed. The morning was misty and drizzle fogged his glasses.

"You are a fool, Jade Curtiss," he said to himself, thrusting his hands in his pockets.

When Peony was a child, many people because he was the Emperor's son and always affable and cheerful, showed him many small attentions. To tell the truth, everyone did with the exception of him and Saphir. Dist desired to win his favor and Jade was not an affectionate person. One time Peony and Nephry invited him to skate on the main square and Saphir tagged along although he could not maintain balance on ice. Jade nearly drowned his former friend in cold water before he caused both of them to fall. Or another time he buried Saphir under the snow with Peony's help during a snowball fight. His attention often augured ill.

And he rarely, if ever, enjoyed attracting attention to himself.

"What are you looking for, Colonel Curtiss? Maybe I can help."

Jade didn't notice when his legs had carried him inside. The air was permeated with the strong smell of flowers and wan light illumined the room from the large desk to the tiny specks of dust floating around him. The shopkeeper stood behind the counter, smiling cheerfully as if it wasn't the first workday after the weekend.

"It's still Lt. Colonel," he replied politely, wiping moist off his glasses with the back of his sleeve. "And thank you, but I will be going."

They were not infatuated children; they had duties, burdens and couldn't allow themselves to waste time on gracious yet impractical gestures like a bouquet of flowers. He wouldn't do what was _expected_ of him if he didn't feel it was necessary.

Jade stood by the counter for a while in strange numbness, then pivoted on his heels and swiftly strode out of the small shop. If he didn't hurry, he would be in his office on time.

***o***

Two days before the Council assembled to settle numerous discords between nobles, including the dispute for the piece of land near Akzeriuth, Jade had an unexpected guest. He thought Peony paid him one of those sudden visits and had an odd sense of déjà vu, but this time it was Sesemann who walked into his office with an air of self-importance. He looked more like an Emperor than Peony, Jade admitted, but he would have preferred to see his friend.

Having crossed his legs, he glanced out of the window where the gray line of the ocean blended with the line of approaching rain. It was early fall and downpours in Grand Chokmah were frequent.

"Are you attending the Council meeting?" Asked his mentor, taking a seat in a chair on the opposite side of the table.

"Was I invited?" He asked in turn, mockingly.

"Yes, His Majesty said he discussed certain matters with you in private and requested your presence. This is why I am here, to tell you the news and… Frankly, I wanted to ask what he revealed to you. Don't worry, I only need the information he will announce at the meeting. We might have a serious issue…"

"… with the False Score. I know," finished Jade.

"So it's true what they say, you know everything."

"Not quite, but I pay attention to… details."

"Then you understand that we don't want panic to spread. If it becomes known to the public that someone had made it a business to alter people's fates for personal gain… Imagine the confusion, the indignation, the distrust. Mayhem will ensue. Have you requested your personal Score to be read?"

"No, I prefer to do what is necessary instead of what has been predicted." Although Jade did wonder whether his attraction to Peony defied the established destiny, he never considered it an option to betray his Emperor just as he would never cease experimenting with replicas had he discovered that his invention of fomicry was not in concordance with the Score. Too many people preferred to rely on predictions because they were afraid to think independently, afraid of the unknown, of responsibility, of facing themselves in a mirror.

"But many believe otherwise. Only fancy what would happen if you found out you were deceived and followed somebody's selfish whims. It is a disaster, I say, and His Majesty agrees."

"We won't solve a problem, lamenting over it, Sesemann. What do you suggest?"

"Your practicality is sometimes frightening, however, we have but one choice – to let you investigate alone. It is what you do best."

"Then do not make it a secret this time."

"It's a risk…"

"…I am willing to take," Jade said, casting another glance at the ocean, and this time through the misty veil showed the contours of a small ship, gliding on water with grace of a dancer.

***o***

Jade stumbled across the Emperor in the corridor which abutted upon the Council chambers. He didn't intend to, but Peony was waiting for him by the tall lancet window which overlooked an aqueduct. The sun hid behind the clouds all morning, like a shy girl, and discolored ocean could be seen in the distance.

"Jade?" Peony's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Yes, Your Majesty?" He lowered his head. There were people around them, menials and curious guards, watching the Emperor's every move with greed – every blunder created a rumor, every mistake was remembered – and he could not allow their affair to be discovered.

"I missed you."

"The Council is meeting in thirty minutes. With all due respect, Your Ma-"

"There is a wonderful view from the balcony," Peony pushed the door and dragged him inside the room although by the time they neared the wall it was hard to tell who was dragging whom. "But I won't mind if we save the quiet contemplation for later…"

Kissing Peony in a dusty little room was sweet madness, for he flinched from every foreign sound and every nerve was as a stretched string, yet he somehow managed to forget everything and relax in the Emperor's arms until a rather frightening thought crossed his mind.

"Peony," he groaned, "what if someone walks in? Have you thought of it? You are the Emperor, your misconduct will be forgiven, but my reputation… blemished, forever… They'll force you to exile me."

"Nobody will find us, my Jade," he took a step backwards, leaning against the wall, and tilted his head to the side, as if he was fatigued. "I haven't seen you for five days."

"I know… I thought about sending you flowers…"

The Emperor laughed, "What? No, I can't believe you did… Did you?"

"My apologies, Your Majesty, it was a distasteful joke." Jade compressed his lips and drew Peony towards himself, away from the wall, succumbing to the sweet madness that was their affair. Slowly.

Peony broke their embrace first, his heart throbbing quickly, when Jade, playfully biting at his earlobe, lifted his tunic.

"If only you knew how much I want you, but I can't… I don't want it to be meaningless…"

"We have ten minutes, Your Majesty, and we can talk or we can be doing something much more pleasant," Jade smirked, closing the distance again, and judging by the forceful kiss – Peony's response to his slowly caress – his Emperor would rather not be talking…

…When they entered the Council chambers side by side, conversing quite casually about the advantages of landships in combat, no one would have suspected they had a different relationship from that of an Emperor and his loyal subject. Jade's gaze found Sesemann and his mentor unnoticeably nodded, but otherwise nobody paid heed to his appearance. The nobles hastened to greet Peony and soon a small crowd separated them, symbolic to a rift which existed between them in Malkuth society. He took a seat, opened the folder with official documents and delved deeply into the intricate details of inheritance laws and harvests and trade routes, all the meaningless matters he gave meaning to when he agreed to serve the Empire and its queer Emperor.

Accepting the truth was difficult. It required an ability to look beyond his reflection, beyond his comfortable image, to gaze into the bottomless pit of his soul and face himself, naked, unadorned, maybe even ugly self. It was not a simple task, but it was also necessary. Peony made it so much easier and yet so much more difficult.

***o***

"So what is your impression?" Asked Sesemann on the next day.

"I don't know," evasively replied Jade, involuntarily averting his face to catch a glimpse of Peony who was passing by. His Emperor was smiling.

Madness indeed was sweet. Like sugar.


	2. Memento vivere

**Author's note: **another small reminder that the timeline is a bit non-canon. Other than that - here is the 2nd part. :)

* * *

_Memento vivere (lat.) - _remember about life (remember you are alive).

* * *

**Part II. Memento vivere.**

It was one of those rare autumn days when the sun graced the capital with a benevolent smile, when the sky was without a cloud and the ocean, flaunting its cerulean beauty, sprawled peacefully from the shoreline to horizon. Thin gossamer floated in the air. Trees roused themselves, outstretching their branches proudly although many were half-naked and the remaining leaves bore the burning marks of inevitable withering. Warm wind fanned the faces of idlers who poured out into the streets of Grand Chokmah to partake in one of the most magnificent parades held annually when the Emperor himself surveyed Malkuth troops. It seemed that although the breath of winter was already felt in the air, nature, displaying defiantly its dazzling colors, declared, '_Memento vivere_'. '_Memento vivere_,' whispered the tree crones. '_Memento vivere_,' sighed the waves. And so clever was the deception that to an inattentive onlooker winter could have appeared a distant and insignificant threat.

Jade, inhaling crisp air with delight, stood in front of the Palace in the first row among the high-ranking members of Malkuth Imperial Forces. He was clad in a new uniform of unique cut, knowing that in it he looked irresistible and finding the attention hardly pleasant. It was an inherent trait of his, to take note of people – for example, two cadets in the third row were laughing and a middle-aged stout Colonel, hoping that no one noticed, frantically scratched his sweating neck – but he enjoyed the contemplation only when he was invisible to many prying eyes. Peony was late, but it was a calculated delay to stir up excitement in the crowd. Parades usually served a twofold purpose – to the common people they provided entertainment, a chance to behold the Emperor himself; to powerful allies and enemies they demonstrated the combined might of Malkuth military.

Yet, Jade could not help feeling frustrated with Peony.

"Charming," he whispered under his breath, but – such was the disadvantage of standing in the crowd – he was heard.

"What is alarming?" Asked Colonel Frings. "Perhaps I did not hear you aright…"

"Ah, I said it was a _charming_ view. His Majesty was kind enough to leave us waiting in a scenic place."

Aslan Frings was one of the youngest and most promising colonels in the Army; raised in a family whose scions were for generations beholden to serve the Malkuth throne, he quickly advanced through the ranks and his achievements soon outshone even Jade's who, however, only welcomed obscurity until his infamy would be forgotten. His alias the Necromancer in no way wished to become a part of the past.

"His Majesty also has an odd sense of humor. Yesterday I was told – how to say it without appearing rude? – he named a rappig after me…"

"Oh, yes, he is like that. But, rest assured, it is a sign of his gratitude for the services you rendered to the Empire…"

"My service? I haven't done anything worthy of… Wait, does it mean he has… a pet… a rappig named after _you_, Lt. Colonel Curtiss?" To Jade's amusement, Aslan looked and sounded horrified. As yet he hasn't spent enough time in the Palace to get accustomed to the Emperor's whims.

"What do you think?"

The Colonel paled, averting his face in confusion. Either answer Jade could have perceived as insulting and, knowing it, he couldn't hide his relief when Peony's appearance saved him from the necessity to respond.

The Emperor's entrance was nothing short of pompous. With great fanfare the gates to the Palace were flung open and therefrom appeared a procession, led by the Council members dressed in modest black and brown robes. Peony wore a luxurious outfit Jade knew he didn't enjoy wearing, but as the Emperor of Malkuth, on a ceremonial occasion, he had to dress properly, in light-blue velvet adorned with jewels and a scarlet mantle which symbolized Imperial power from times immemorial. Red didn't suit him. His long sand-colored hair fell on his back and shoulders, lacking the usual touch of disorder, and his smile albeit effulgent was strained. Jade could read feigned feelings as words in an open book.

But nothing could diminish a simple truth that Peony was stunning, even clad in the red mantle of a royalty which in truth did not suit him at all. Blood spilled on the rye field will never look naturally.

At the sight of him, the crowd surged, cheers filled the air and flowers fell underneath the moving platform where the Emperor sat solemnly. It was dragged by a dozen beasts of burden which farmers of Malkuth usually harnessed into ploughs or coaches, only their backs were decorated with luxuriant cloth. Peony waved towards the multitudes of his subjects whom his personal guard held back, preventing the most overzealous of them from expressing their affections openly. Jade didn't fear the mettlesome followers; rather, he was bothered by the thought that in the motley crowd which consisted of prosperous merchants, sailors, farmers and other riffraff a silent enemy could be hiding. He hadn't yet solved the mystery of the False Score although with each passing day he grew more and more certain that someone in Peony's milieu had to be spying for the self-proclaimed prophets or allied with them.

In the meantime, the procession circled the fountain in the central square and headed towards the gates which connected Grand Chokmah with the dry land. All the fun would begin outside the city, he recalled the Emperor's words. Yesterday Peony was pacing up and down the room in great excitement, describing to him with usual eloquence how the procession would pass round the capital, then make an exit, in a grand manner, through the gates and there dreadnoughts and smaller landships would be displayed. Their considerable size did not allow General Nordheim who was responsible for arranging the parade to moor them inside the city. Jade's role, apparently, was to demonstrate the admiring public how _Tartarus_ – the newest addition to Malkuth fleet – could levitate with the aid of the fonic glyph. Then he was supposed to fire a volley from its canon. Jade tried to object that instead of wasting time he could be investigating, but the Emperor was implacable.

_Implacable, insufferable, indolent and infantile… innately ingenious, impetuous and irresistible…_

Jade had to shake his head since his thoughts had gone astray and at that in a very undesirable direction.

Grand Chokmah was an ancient city built a few centuries after the Dawn Age when the Outer Lands were raised from Qliphoth. Initially called the City of Wisdom, it used to serve as a shelter for sages and masters of fonic artes who felt oppressed in Kimlasca – from there, multiple routes led to every port around the Rugnica continent and even further, providing the refugees opportunities to escape capture. It grew quickly, in less than a century turning from a boisterous asylum for the prominent thinkers into the center of insurrection which ended when Malkuth Republic was declared. Vestiges of Franc architecture which survived although the inexorable course of history had long ago erased all traces of the kingdom could be seen in buildings and aqueducts. The stones remembered the Republican troops marching triumphantly through the streets of Grand Chokmah, remembered the blood spilled in a coup d'état by the first Emperor, remembered Border Wars and ascension of Peony's father on the throne – centuries of struggle and perseverance, of battles and celebration, of dreams and cruelty which choked those dreams but they, like scions in winter, stubbornly showed through ice. And now the stones lay under their feet, silent, while wind and dry leaves whose lifespan would not exceed a few days, joyfully whispered, '_Memento vivere_'.

"I heard it will rain in the evening," said Colonel Frings who walked by his side. Perhaps, he wanted to make up for the blunder. "A shame… It is a beautiful day."

He was distracted and therefore didn't answer immediately. It was only when Aslan quietly cleared his throat that Jade was alerted to the awkward pause which his absent-mindedness created.

"Enjoy the moment, Colonel. You know how they say that things can change in a blink of an eye. And trust me, the show will eclipse the one we had last year otherwise the General wouldn't waste as much money on it."

"How much did he spend?" The Colonel inquired eagerly.

"You'd live your life without having to worry about money and you'd still have some left for your children. Thinking of it makes you wish you were given a chance to take that amount from the treasury and live in opulent comfort. The Emperors are quite unrestrained in their spending, aren't they?"

"I cannot judge, but wouldn't it be a better idea if all that money was given to the poor?"

Young idealism often called forth a smirk because it remained something like a mystery to him. "There will always be poor, whether you help them or not. But His Majesty reasons correctly: it is necessary to reassure his loyal subjects that the Empire is stronger than ever."

"Do you expect a war with Kimlasca?"

"No, nothing of the sorts, but it never hurts to be prepared. Forewarned is forearmed, you heard the saying?"

Jade looked at the procession in front of him and shifted his gaze upwards, setting his eyes on the Emperor's scarlet back. (…_No, truly, scarlet and yellow was an irritating blend_). It always reassured him to know where Peony was, safe and victorious – despite the ordeals, despite the predictions and the intrigues with which any court abounded, he was a monument and to it Jade returned when his own foundation shook and crumbled. He knew that for the Emperor he was the same pillar. Sometimes he thought he understood Saphir who never gave up on replicating Professor Nebilim, knowing that she would not remember Keterburg and the happy years they spent with her, knowing how ethically ambiguous his attempts were – knowing _everything_ but finding no strength within himself to give up hope. Saphir – who had been known for two years as Dist the Reaper – feared solitude and craved affection, but the latter eluded him while the former, due to his eccentric nature and obsession with fontech, haunted him since childhood. At first, Jade believed Saphir needed to attach himself to someone stronger to fill the inner void, but he was wrong. Saphir needed someone to love with reciprocity, but with the exception of Gelda Nebilim he always chose the wrong people and that void remained gaping inside, devouring his mind like an avaricious worm.

For a while Jade thought he had the same emptiness, the hunger for power which manifested itself in a desire to master the Seventh Fonon which he wasn't meant to master, but with time what he deemed important lost its significance and he even laughed at himself, at his naïveté. When children were asked who they wanted to be in future, they always chose a profession which in their callow minds had an inexplicable attraction – a general, a master of fonic artes, a famous actress or a discoverer – but they grew up to be farmers, factory workers and housewives, finding all the happiness they needed in little things. And only rarely so, one among a thousand or even ten thousands was born with the necessary talents and will to rightly use those talents, hone them to perfection, and not without a blessing from the fickly lady luck, who richly endowed some and humbled others, that exceptional one became the very embodiment of an alluring childhood dream.

Notwithstanding Peony's delay, the procession arrived at the outskirts of Grand Chokmah on time, when sunlight gushed down upon the rows of mighty battle ships, glittering on their polished hulls and canon muzzles so brightly that participants of the parade had to shield their eyes or avert their faces. Blinded by might, Jade thought, marveling the Emperor's ingenuity. He shared his observations with Aslan Frings and the Colonel agreed. Soon they would also be deafened. From the corner of his eye, Jade saw General Nordheim approaching and knew that he would have to partake in this travesty.

…After they returned to the Palace, after the crowd of noble guests had dispersed, Jade was able to talk to Peony where no one else heard them. It didn't rain, contrary to Aslan's words, but the evening was unexpectedly cold and the fire flared up in the skies as the sun began its descent, foreboding an even colder morrow.

"I need to spend the night at the Palace," Jade said in an emphatic tone. "I do not have any preferences as long as you do not accommodate me in a storage room."

"A storage room?" Peony laughed. "You're giving me ideas… But what's the urgency? Tomorrow is Sylphday, nobody will exempt you from duties, and I thought you wanted to go home and rest after tonight's festivities."

"I cannot tell you anything specific, Your Majesty, barring a hint that it concerns my investigation of the… matter we discussed earlier."

The Emperor sighed in a rather theatrical manner as if the request was onerous or discomforted him somehow. At least he no longer wore the scarlet mantle.

"Ah, investigation… Is this your excuse to come to my bedchambers? But never mind me! It is my condition. I will let you stay in the Palace only if you sleep in my room."

"Or you will call the guards?" Mocked Jade. "I allowed myself to be deceived by such simple tricks only when we were children."

In truth, he was glad the Emperor made the offer, but he wished Peony spoke about their affair a tad quieter.

"No, otherwise you can start walking home."

"Do you treat all lovers with such cruelty or are your feelings towards me exceptionally strong?"

"Fine," Peony dismissively waved his hand. "Stay. Leave. Do whatever your heart desires."

"My heart's utmost desire is to stretch my legs on my favorite couch with a glass of fine wine and relax in silence. But serving the Empire requires sacrifices."

Peony winked at him, took him by the arm and hurried him out of the room. "If I didn't know you better, I'd say you looked genuinely disheartened."

"Aren't you going to say farewell to Nordheim and Sesemann?"

"I am, but it will be for the best if we aren't seen walking into my bedroom together."

Jade nodded and without further ado through the labyrinth of halls headed towards the Emperor's private quarters. His plan was not extraordinary complicated, but since he was going to be the bait he did not want to let his lover into the details. He will doubtlessly disapprove, they'll argue and in the end he will follow through with his intentions nevertheless, which will only distress Peony. But what else could he do against an adversary who decided to hide?

Nothing changed in the Imperial Palace since Jade last visited it. Tall lancet windows overlooked the dark, desolated streets, showing scraps of moonless skies, and silent shadows of the guards stood in the doorways, saluting him as he walked by. But everything changed when he stepped over the threshold of Peony's room – it was filled with light and movement and noise which jarred him. There, amidst the bustle, he saw a maiden who was feeding Peony's rappigs and playing with them. Upon noticing him, she rose and dropped a graceful curtsey.

"His Majesty invited me for the late tea."

"I will be leaving momentarily, Colonel Curtiss." He decided not to correct her. "Would you please feed the Emperor's pets? They like to eat from your hands."

"Of course, I will, do not worry," he ably lied. The maiden dropped another curtsey and was gone.

No, he certainly did not intend to dirty his hands, feeding those… _monsters_, Jade thought, pushing the bowls towards rappigs which fell on the food with such greediness as if they were not fed for at least a week. Especially Peony's favorite, the rappig he named _his cute little Jade_ although they had nothing in common; the pet was loud and restless and enjoyed every bit of attention directed at his persona.

"Ah, Jade, I am glad to see you're getting along with my cute little Jade," cheerfully remarked the Emperor, slamming the door.

In Peony's vocabulary affection was tantamount to a temporary decision not to inflict serious bodily harm.

"I believe you suffer from nearsightedness which impaired your judgment of size, Your Majesty. The rappig you so graciously named after me became an enormous sponger who does nothing but eat, sleep and beg for attention. Is it the kind of fate you prepared for me, a fate of an obedient, meek pet on a short leash?"

"Meek? On a short leash? Tempting, but I shall refuse." The Emperor turned to the small thermos flask, powered by a fonic glyph, in which he always kept hot tea for the occasion. It was Jade's present to him on his twenty third birthday. "Would you like something to drink?"

"Tea shall suffice, thank you," Jade settled comfortably at the table. "Unless all you have is the over-sweetened strawberry tea in which case I will ask for a glass of red wine."

"Nay, I like to keep a variety of flavors. It's green tea with jasmine today," Peony set in front of him a small cup of expensive Kimlascan porcelain, adorned with a flowery pattern. "So tell me about this clandestine plan of yours."

And Jade was hoping he could avoid the unpleasant conversation.

"I assure you, it won't pose considerable danger…"

"Jade, don't worry, it is not my wish to dissuade you from taking a risk." Peony once again managed to surprise him. "I understand the repercussions of my decision to entrust to you such an uneasy task. Of you I only ask to understand that I would rather know what risks you take than trouble myself needlessly over numerous ifs."

Jade felt slightly ashamed of his doubts. "They know I am investigating. I will become a bait to lure them out."

"You will be risking your life… as always. I might not be fond of the idea, but I won't stop you. I would be a worthless friend if I didn't believe in you."

"You are awfully compliant today, Your Majesty."

Peony drank up his tea in a gulp. "I spent my stubbornness on General Nordheim, arguing over the amount of landships we should add to our fleet. He demands five and I believe it to be a waste of resources and funds which can be directed elsewhere; for instance, education. However, he is obsessing over the inevitable war with Kimlasca… It blinded him. I allowed him to build two ships and he dared walk away with a sour face… But it seems I am talking too much, distracting you thus." He brightened up. "Finish your tea before it turns cold."

Jade brought the cup to his lips, feeling warm steam envelop his face. "Such is the unfortunate fate of a ruler. I wouldn't swap places with you even for a day."

"It's not as bad as you might think. Being an Emperor has its privileges…" His voice trailed off. "When I was told that I would be the next Emperor, I didn't know what to think or how to feel about the sudden turn of the fortune's wheel. My mother was the least significant of father's concubines. I was little, but I understood the difference. My half-brother Franz was supposed to inherit the throne and I… I was content living with mother, studying with other noble children literacy and art of combat. But then I am told – and I am only ten – that my siblings are dead and I am the destined heir to Malkuth throne and I need to flee the capital to the unknown city of Keterburg where I will stay until further notice. Have you ever felt as if the world is collapsing around you, suffocating you, and you're suddenly running into the endless night, alone, frightened… That's how I felt. I think this ordeal only contributed to my confusion. For a long time I did not understand what I could achieve just being an Emperor and what no riches or titles could buy." Peony's face was despondent, his smile a shade of its radiant counterpart. "Why am I saying this nonsense? I did not like solitude. I don't enjoy it still, but then it seemed to me it gripped my throat with its sticky fingers, chocking me… I would do many foolish things to escape its ubiquitous grasp. Look at me. Half of my court, men and women alike, wanted me for different reasons. I took advantage of my royal status and got involved with some of them, one at a time… My affairs didn't last longer than a month. I felt good while they were in bed with me, then they clothed themselves and left and the routine repeated itself. So meaningless…"

Jade was beginning to understand. "Is this the reason you do not want to sleep with me?"

"You're not the reason, I am. I'd rather remain good friends than watch our relationship slowly turn into the meaningless routine of waking up in the morning side by side with the foreign man, clothing myself and without saying a word embark on the next day's journey… whereto?"

"Peony, your fear is groundless," Jade whispered, astonished with the raw emotion in his friend's voice.

"Is it? What if it is a mistake?"

"It is not a mistake," he continued, louder, giving his voice certain sternness. "I spent years denying I was attracted to you. It seemed fraught with disastrous consequences to even think of being in a relationship with an Emperor – an unorthodox relationship which will not bring Malkuth an heir, which will not lead to a wedding, which cannot end happily if I were discovered… And what good did it do? Prudence is not the same as fear. Fear is irrational, indescribable, enfeebling; precaution is logical."

"I hope you are correct. I'd hate to lose you." And then the Emperor drew himself up, confident and smiling anew, his gaiety contagious, like disease, like madness, because Jade could not understand _how_ his moods changed so quickly. "I shall let you sleep. I am sure you are tired of my incessant babbling."

"I am not. We wouldn't be best friends for such a long time if I was, but that doesn't mean I won't tease you when you get carried away."

"Oh, man, I hate you when you're always right." Peony opened his spacious wardrobe, rummaged through his clothes and emerged again, holding two pairs of pajamas. "I do not know if you want to wear these. They are mine so they should fit you…"

"Thank you kindly, but I'd rather not wear anything with _charming_ rappigs. Do you have a plain robe?"

"I should. Here. It's blue, but I don't think you dislike blue."

"It's fine, really. Can I use your shower?"

…By the time Jade came out of the shower, wringing his hair, Peony had already retired for the night or so it seemed when he walked into the bedroom and climbed under the covers. But the Emperor lay on his back, awake, staring into the distance. Upon noticing Jade, he stirred, raising himself on the elbow, and moved to the side.

"I take my words back," said Jade, sprawling on the soft sheets. "I'll swap places with you just to sleep in this bed every night."

"You are welcome to join me anytime, you know."

He threw the blanket around them and suddenly there was darkness and Peony's warm hands inside his robe and Peony's warm lips on his. Jade responded, pulling his lover on top, running his fingers along the curves of his body to guide him in a rhythmic movement although their hips only touched. Andante, then vivace, no different from music – a music of life. There was haste in his caress and need, but no determination, for he knew he would have to stop, but the thought was soon lost somewhere in the depths of his mind because Peony's lips were everywhere, exploring, teasing, playing – torturing slowly – and, having thrown his head back, he uttered his Emperor's name like he had never spoken it before, on the pinnacle of pleasure.

***o***

Jade woke up an hour before dawn with a clear head. Peony was sleeping the sleep of the just and, having gently kissed his lover on the lips, he slipped into his uniform, fastened his belt and climbed out of the window.

He didn't anticipate the evening to end like it did, but he'd be damned if it wasn't a very pleasant surprise.

It was still dark in the streets and thick mists hung low, concealing contours of buildings and fountains. Shivering from cold, Jade quickened his pace, turning left in front of the huge edifice which housed the headquarters of the Imperial Forces. He didn't look around and it was his mistake, for no sooner had he turned the corner than multiple faceless shadows surrounded him, closing the mousetrap.

His legendary intuition didn't fail him yet again. There was a spy in Peony's closest entourage.

The enemies unsheathed their swords and advanced from all sides with a certain degree of confidence that he had nowhere to run. They will have to learn, posthumously, that the alias Necromancer is not so easily attained. Smirking, Jade willed the lance to appear in his hands, diving under the blade and thrusting it into the unprotected chest of an armored warrior. Blood sprinkled onto his face, screams drowned the sound of his heartbeat in his ears and, having straightened to full height, Jade outstretched his arm, as if inviting the careless adversary to attack. Opening his fon slots, he drew a glowing glyph on the ground and its counterpart appeared behind his back. Time had slowed down its course. The enemies seemed to have moved in a viscous substance which greatly impeded their attacks, their distorted faces almost froze, as Jade began his incantation:

_"I, who stand in the light of the heavens, command thee, who opens the gates of hell…"_

There was a bright flash behind his back and a gust of strong wind scattered his hair. Thin flaming web wound round the enemies, smell of charred flesh filled the air and the Necromancer finished, imperiously:

_"Come forth, divine lightning. Indignation!"_

The ground shook as the lightning struck into the middle of the circle, scattering his befuddled opponents. Good citizens of Grand Chokmah missed quite an exhibition, Jade thought, adjusting his long glove which crumpled on the elbow. Although the noise did awake the inhabitants of the nearby dwellings and a few windows lit up. He should be expecting undesirable company of a different kind than his now dead adversaries if he didn't disappear soon. But before he left, he needed to know who attempted to ambush him – anyone less skilled in fonic artes than him would have died in the encounter. Jade approached and overturned the body so that its glassy eyes faced the rising sun. In wan light he discerned the emblem on the chest – a two-ponged fork and a lily.

What were Oracle Knights doing so far away from Daath?


End file.
